Use What You’ve Got

How to make the most of your favorite features

Mirella Cameran

Most women are their own harshest critics, so when it comes to choosing your best feature to focus on in your wedding makeup, some brides might be stumped.
Any good makeup artist can help. He or she can either suggest which feature to highlight, or help you “create” your best feature. The cheekbones you’ve always wanted? No problem.

How To Enhance Your Eyes

According to Natashia Paul, owner and stylist at Wink Eyelash Bar and Makeup Studio, there are so many elements to the eye that you need to consider. She recommends starting with your lashes. “People don’t realize how much lashes open up the eye,” Paul says. “If you look at any commercial on TV or in a magazine, the model will be wearing fake eyelashes.”

Paul adds that even though a lot of brides have never worn fake eyelashes before and a lot of them say they don’t want to wear them on their wedding day, Paul encourages them to try them. Most brides are usually happy with them. “They look completely natural in person and in the photographs and they keep the bride looking bright and fresh all day long,” Paul says.

Next Paul focuses on the eyebrows. She says the brows should extend from the inner corner of the nose to the outer point of the eye. If your brows don’t stretch that far, a stylist can use shadow to fill them in, and avoid visible pencil marks.

“Sometimes we need to change the style of the brow a little, we use concealer and shadow to highlight and contour where we need to,” Paul adds. “We usually strengthen the eyebrow itself, but we keep the brow bone light to lift the eye and create space to work with the eyelid.”

When it comes to a final eye look, Paul says smoky eyes are still very popular and they look great, but she suggests that brides look beyond the blacks and gun metals. “Depending on your skin tone and your dress, play with colors such as dark greens, purples and rich chocolates,” Paul says. “Think about shimmer that sparkles and glistens in candlelight.”

For a lighter look, Paul suggests emphasizing your eyes with whites, caramels and golds and contour with browns and taupes. Paul says she likes to use darker colors to “push the eye” into the socket so the eye appears larger and pops more. This lets the eyes be “dramatic, fresh and natural at the same time.”

Paul adds, “Really, the eyes are a playground for color and used correctly, the colors will set the tone, shape and the look of the whole face.”

How To Accentuate Your Cheekbones

If you weren’t blessed with the bone structure of your dreams, just find the right makeup artist. According to Natalie Cogan, owner and artist of About Face of Mandeville, a makeup artist can easily create cheekbones with the right makeup.

“We can use foundation or bronzer – matte though not shimmer – to create the depth and the definition on the cheek,” Cogan says. “Next we highlight the upper part of the cheekbone and finally the apples on the cheeks with some blush color.”

The pop of color will lift attention up to the eyes. Cogan adds that most brides look best in a pretty rosy color as it gives them a naturally flushed look. “If they are looking for a more enhanced version of themselves, we use darker shades,” Cogan says.

Cogan also adds that brides should be careful about the products they use for their wedding day. “Many products have light-reflecting properties to create various effects,” Cogan says. “However in photographs this can cause ‘white face.’ For the purposes of photography, you need makeup that will absorb the light.”

Cogan likes products by the popular makeup line Smashbox because they are made specifically to be worn at shoots. A good makeup product will keep airbrushing and editing lower when it comes to bridal albums and the brides will look good in everyone else’s photos.

“Products with good pigmentation will also last longer, so it’s worth investing,” Cogan says. “Really after we have set the face with a good setting spray, the only thing that should need to be touched up during the day are the lips.”

How To Play Up Your Lips

With kissing at the altar and toasting with champagne, the lips are a natural focal point of any wedding. Meggan Ory, owner and makeup artist at Makeup by Meggan, says she likes to go by the classic idea of “playing down the eyes if you are playing up the lips.” “Many of my brides like a nice bold red or plum lip with a natural eye, winged out a little with some liner,” Ory says.

Before you pick out a color, though, Ory says getting the lips ready should be your first priority. Ory makes sure that the lips are exfoliated and moisturized first before she adds makeup.

Next, Ory recommends looking for a product that can help make the lips look larger, if you would like. “There are some great products available which really hug and plump the lips and make them appear fuller,” Ory says. “One of them has a minty flavor, so you know you need to reapply when the taste disappears.”

The next step, Ory says, is to add concealer to the lip so the color goes on true and is not affected by the natural color underneath. She also highlights the Cupid’s bow, which is just above the top of the middle of upper lip, as it creates the illusion of thicker lips. Ory adds that some people even put highlighter in the middle of the upper and lower lips to enhance the fullness further.

“After lining the lip I apply the lip color,” Ory says. “I keep gloss to a minimum, it makes the color wear off faster and can feel sticky.”

When it comes to choosing the color for your wedding day, Ory says she helps her brides pick the right color because there is an endless amount of options. “I don’t believe in lip color rules, that certain lip colors go with certain skin tones,” Ory says. “After all, there are so many colors to consider: the skin color, the color of the dress, the lighting. I just want to find the right color for each particular bride.”